Film students learn by doing

by Michael D. Reid – Timescolonist.com June 13, 2011

Connor Gaston’s parents got more than they bargained for last week when he told them he’d be having a few people over.

“Thirty people showed up and took over the house. But it’s OK; they’re dealing with it,” the UVic writing student laughingly recalled after navigating a maze of props, cables, call sheets and other filmmaking paraphernalia strewn about the house.

Gaston, 22, and his collaborators were in the home stretch of shooting How Socrates Bought the Farm, a short film being directed by Victoria’s Jeremy Lutter and made by students of instructor Dan Hogg’s Writing 320 film production course. >>continue reading

From behind the camera to centre stage

by Erin McCraken – Victoria News July 20, 2011

When Connor Gaston learned in science class that a person can foam green at the mouth and eventually die after ingesting hemlock, he turned the nugget of information into a gem of a story.

“I was like, ‘whoa, that’s so cool,’” the fourth-year University of Victoria creative writing student said of the imagery. “That would be a really interesting thing to see on film.”

It has led to the creation of a short film he wrote and helped shoot with 15 UVic students for a screenwriting class that recently wrapped. >>continue reading